A Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to develop the world’s first wood-made satellites by 2023 with the goal of reducing space debris.
Sumitomo Forestry said it has begun research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in the space.
The association will begin experimenting with different types of wood in extreme environments on Earth.
Space debris is becoming a growing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere. Wooden satellites would burn without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris on the ground when they return to Earth.
“We are very concerned that all satellites that re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create small alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” Takao told the BBC. Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and a Japanese astronaut.
“The next stage of the project will be to develop the satellite’s engineering model, then we will manufacture the flight model,” added Professor Doi, who visited the International Space Station as an astronaut in March 2008. During this mission he became the first person to launch a boomerang into space that had been specifically designed for use in microgravity.
R&D secret
Sumitomo Forestry, part of the Sumitomo Group, which was founded more than 400 years ago, said it would work on developing wood materials that are highly resistant to temperature changes and sunlight. The wood used is an “R&D secret,” a company spokesman told the BBC.
Experts have warned of the growing threat that spacecraft will fall to Earth as more spacecraft and satellites are launched.
Satellites are increasingly used for communications, television, navigation, and weather forecasting. Space experts and researchers have been researching different options for removing and reducing space debris.
There are nearly 6,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Approximately 60% of them have stopped working and are considered space debris.
The research firm Euroconsult estimates that 990 satellites will be launched each year in this decade, which means that by 2028 there could be 15,000 satellites in orbit.
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Threat. Space junk travels at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour, so it can cause considerable damage to any object it hits.